Planooraph co



I. W. HARKOM.

S'GHT FOR FIREARMS AND THE LIKE.

APPLl CATl0N FILED MAY 2|. 191s. RENEWED JULY 11, m9.

1,314,472. I Patented Aug. 26,1919.

49 lm enfor I FIG. 5 5] 0/7 V1. flar/ram "18 COLUMBIA PLANOORAPM Co.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

JOHN W. HARKOM, OF MELBOURNE, QUEBEC, CANADA.

SIGHT FOR FIREARMS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed May 21, 1918, Serial No. 235,801.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. HARKOM, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of Melbourne, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sights for Firearms and the like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in sights for fire arms and the like, and the object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable and eflicient sight.

A further object is to provide a sight particularly adapted for military rifles.

Still another object is to provide a sight in which it will not be possible for the shooter to take aim elsewhere than through the proper aperture.

At the present time, the rear sights used on military rifles are in reality two sights in one, an open or battle sight for use usu ally at ranges under two hundred yards, and a folding leaf with a sliding peep for ranges above two hundred yards. It frequently happens when using the peep sight that a soldier, especially if a recent recruit, will take aim elsewhere than through the sliding peep. The graduation scale. on the leaf, by which the peep is set, is very fine and difficult to read, so that the sight is often incorrectly adjusted. In addition to the foregoing, the ordinary rear sight is quite a complicated and delicate mechanism, which is easily deranged and requires considerable care and cleaning to keep it in good working order. The sight according to the present invention is small and simple in construction, and so arranged that the peep or aperture is the only possible place through which the shooter can take aim. The movement in adjusting a sight is comparatively coarse and controlled by a click spring, so that the sight may be adjusted by sound or touch as well as by the eye. The. sight further has the advanta e of being virtually a double sight, so t at the finding of the foresight is greatly expedited.

The device consists briefly of a tubular body pivotally connected at one end to a rifle or gun. The body is provided with a diametrically disposed sight opening and with a revoluble sleeve having two series of sight openings therein arranged in helices. Corresponding openings in the two helices are, arranged diametrically opposite and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Renewed July 17, 1919. Serial No. 311,683.

alined in each case with the tip of the fore sight, when the latter is used. Means are provided for controlling the rotation of the sleeve.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the sight folded down.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the sight raised.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the sight down.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the sight raised.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the sight body with the sleeve removed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designates the fore sight of a rifle or the like and 12 a rear sight carrier. A cylindrical tubular sight body 13 is provided at one end with a tangentially disposed extension forming part of a hinge, by which the sight is secured to the carrier. This extension has two flat sides against either of which a leaf spring 15 bears to hold the sight securely in either its folded down or raised position.

The bore 16 of the tubular body may if desired be eccentric, as shown, or may be concentric with the body. In any case, this bore is used as a sight for short ranges, usually under two hundred yards, and in the case of a military rifle, will be used as the battle sight. The body is further provided with a series of diametrically disposed apertures 17 arranged at right angles to the axis of the hinge. These apertures serve as sight apertures for the various elevations above two hundred yards. Toward the lower or hinged end of the body where the difference in height between the ranges is very little, the apertures run into one another and form a slot, which may if desired be continued to include the highest aperture, as clearly shown. A pair of grooves 18 are formed longitudinally in the body and contain a click spring 19 for controlling the rotation of the sleeve and a spring retaining catch 20. It is obviously necessary to leave some depth of slot into which the spring and catch may retreat. In order to prevent the entrance of mud and dirt into the slots under the springs, the ends of the springs are turned inwardly and have a close sliding fit in radially disposed grooves 21 forming continuations of the grooves 18 on the free end of the body. Toward the hinge end, the body is provided with a radially disposed stop pin 22 and a series of inscriptions 23 indicating the various ranges.

A cylindrical sleeve 2% is revolubly mounted on the body, one of its ends bearing against the stop pin 22 and the other against the catch 20, so that it is retained on the body. At the lower end of the sight, the sleeve is provided with a pointer 25, which indicates on the inscribed scale 23 the range for which the sight is adjusted. The pointer also comes to rest against the stop 22, thus checking rotation of the sleeve when the sight has been adjusted to the lowest and highest ranges. The sleeve is provided with sight apertures 26 arranged in two helices, corresponding apertures in the helices being diametrically opposite one another. These apertures are so spaced around the circumference of the sleeve that only one pair will be in alinement with the body sight apertures at a time. Thus, all sight apertures in the body except the one which it is desired to use are blocked by the sleeve and all sight apertures in the sleeve except the pair which it is desired to use are blocked by the body. Obviously therefore, the shooter cannot aim elsewhere than through the correct aperture. In order to hold the sleeve in any position to which it is adjusted, the upper end of the sleeve is provided with a series of internal notches 27. which are engaged by the click spring.

The operation of the device is extremely simple. WVhen the sight body is folded flat, aim may be taken through the bore of the body. As this is of considerable length, it will to a certain extent replace the fore sight. The natural tendency of the eye will be to center the object aimed at in the bore and, in doing this, the fore sight will be unconsciously located and brought into alinement. The surface of the sight is smooth and free from projections or notches, so that it will not catch on the hand in using the rifle or present any other point which could be mistaken for the battle sight. When more accurate aiming is required or when the range is longer, the apertures in the body and sleeve are used. For example, if it is desired to aim at an object known to be five hundred yards away, the sleeve is rotated until the pointer 25 is opposite the inscription 5 of the scale 23. The sight is raised to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. There is now one aperture clear through the body and sleeve through which the line of sight may pass from the shooters eye over the fore sight to the target. If the rifle is not held quite correctly, this aperture will not appear in its true circular form and the shooter will instinctively move the rifle until the aperture appears its full size. When this occurs, it will be found that the fore sight is properly located in the aperture and all that now remains is for the shooter to pick up the target. The sight may be set visually by rotating the sleeve until the pointer is opposite the proper number on the scale or may be set by touch, as the click spring can be readily felt or heard as it slips into each successive notch of the sleeve.

The sleeve is a good fit on the body, so that little if any dirt will enter between the two. The grooves 18 are completely closed by the click spring and sleeve catch. The bore of the body is quite large and may be very easily cleaned with a. twig, match or the like. If it is desired to more thoroughly clean the sight, this may be easily done by pressing in the end of the catch 20 and drawing off the sleeve. No tools of any description are required and there are no small parts to be lost as the spring and catch are fixedly mounted in the body. To reassemble the sight, it is only necessary to press the sleeve on to the body until the retaining catch holds it. The only point to be observed in putting the sight together is to get the sleeve on right end to, but this is not difficult, as the pointer indicates the lower end which should go next the scale.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that the sight has a number of advantages. For example, quicker and better aim may be taken at all ranges. The sight is much stronger than the leaf pattern ordinarily used and has a convenient, simple and definite adjustment for elevation. Only the aperture for the range at which the sight is set can be used in aiming. The sight may be very readily taken apart for cleaning and put together with no small parts to be lost. Furthermore, the construction is such that the sight is less likely to rust and become unusable than many other patterns of sights. The sight may be much more quickly and cheaply manufactured than ordinary leaf sights.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a rear sight, a cylindrical body having diametrically disposed sight openings therethrough, a revoluble sleeve thereon having two series of diametrically opposite sighting apertures arranged to coincide with the openings of said body.

2. In a rear sight a cylindrical body having openin s therethrough, one of which is disposed su stantially parallel with the body axis and the remainder disposed diametrically of the body.

3. In a rear sight according to claim 2,

5. In a device according to claim 1, a click spring releasably locking the sleeve to the body at predetermined points of its revolution.

6. In a device according to any of the preceding claims, a resilient sleeve retaining catch fixedly mounted in the body.

7. A device according to claims 5 and 6, in which the click spring and catch are turned over the end of the body to exclude accumulations of dirt under themselves.

8. In a rear sight for fire arms, a hinged body, and a revoluble sleeve thereon provided with sight apertures and adapted by revolution to present a single sight aperture at difierent elevations.

9. A rear sight according to claim 2 in which the axis of the axial opening is in alinement with the tip of a foresight when the rear sight is in one position and the axes of the diametrical openings are in alinement with the tip of a foresight when the rear sight is in another position.

10. In a rear sight, a cylindrical body hav ing a diametrically disposed sight-opening and a sleeve revoluble on said body, having two series of diametrically disposed sight openings therein, corresponding openings of the two series being in axial alinement with the tip of a foresight and with the first named sight opening when the rear sight is in proper position.

11. In a rear sight, a cylindrical body, a sleeve revoluble thereon having two series of diametrically disposed sight openings, the openings of each series being arranged in a helix and the helices having different and increasing pitches.

12. In a rear sight, a cylindrical hingedly mounted body having a longitudinally disposed bore formin a short range peep sight and a sleeve on said body having a plurality of apertures therein forming individual peep sights for longer ranges.

13. In a rear sight, an apertured cylindrical body and a sleeve thereon having a plurality of apertures therein, arranged in pairs at different heights, the apertures of each pair being diametrically opposite and forming a double peep sight which, when properly alined with the target, is also in alinement with the tip of a foresight.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN W. HARKOM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. 0. 

